The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-25
SIXTY THOUSAND STRIKE
NEARLY EVERY MAN IN THE
READINGS EMPLOY OUT.

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 2i.-All was quiet
at the Port Richmond coal wharves this
morning. The strikers we're orderly
Superintendent of Police Lomon has issued
orders to the police lieutenaptS to keep the
entire force of reserve and detail of off
GERS at the station houses until further or
ders.
The convention Of the Reading railroad
employees, which assembled here this even
ing, ordered on strike everybody in the en-
ploy of the company with the exception of
the passenger train employees. The order to
strike includes the coal miners in the en-
ploy of the Reading Company.
AN AGREEMENT VIOLATED.
The convention adopted resolutions CEN
suring the company for violating the thir-
teentb article of the agreement made year
ago between the officers of the company and
the employees, which reads as follows: THAT
every man employed by the company shall
receive fair and full justification of any
grievance or complaint entered against him
before he shall be discharged or
suspended In view of this violation
and the company's refusal to arbitrate the
differences with the committee appointed to
settle the difficulty, the convention decided
to order out all the employees of the Read
ing railroad system excepting the passenger
trainmen, signal men, switchmen and gate
keepers This order was issued at once and
word was telegraphed to all stations in the
system. Resolutions were adopted pre-
venting the presence of police.
GUARANTEE TO RE DEMANDED.
1t was also unanimously resolved that
the employees of the company or a commit
tee representing them, refuse to meet the
officers of the company until a guarantee
shall be given that the articles OF agreement
would be strictly adhered to, and until the
dismissed men shall be re-instated The con-
yention will resume its session tomorrow
to hear complaints and direct the general
plan of resistance. Prominent members of
the order of the Knights of La
Dor, directly connected with tho
strike said tonight: 1--WE are
justified in what we have done by the
faction of the company in violating our
agreement, and we are financially prepared
for a six months strike. We intend to
maintain our position, and If necessary call
out the passenger trainmen but that will
happen only in case of extreme emergency.
This movement affects 1900 men in this
city and over 1000 in all, but with all this
army to support we do not fear for a sue
cessful ISSUE All the local assemblies of
this city, connected with this strike, met
tonight and adopted the resolutions, thus
supporting the decision of the convention.
The order to strike will effect nearly CO.,
600 men. Committees from Port Rich
mond and Eli2abethport presented their
grievances to the convention. Representa-
tives from Elizabethport stated that the
Knights there we're discharged for refusing
TO load Coke Bros barge. They had un,
derstood that the Reading company was
not to interfere in the Lehigh strike, but to
load Coke Bros barge would be aid
ing the Lehigh operators and this
the men refused to do, while many
Schuykill barges were lying idle at the
piers They stated that $50 men had been
discharged, the officials refusing to settle
the trouble by arbitration. A similar
complaint of a refusal on the part of the
officials to arbitrate, was presented by the
Port Richmond representatives. The
convention then went into executive
session, and upon its conclusion,
announced that there would be general
tie up of all the mines and all the freight
and coal trains on the road. II was stated
further that the passenger men would also
be ordered ont soon if it should be found
necessary.
THE COMPANY DETERMINED.
General Manager Mcleod said tonight
that the Reading Railroad Company in.
tended to manage its own affairs The
question involved Mr. Mcleod contended.
was net one of wages, but the far more inn
portant question, whether the company
should manage its own affairs or whether
they should be managed by it's employees
He had been forbearing at all
times. he said, granting requests which
were absolutely unreasonable, and this
course was pursued with the sole purpose of
preventing sale of the property under fore
closure and the disintegration of the whole
system. The situation of the property now,
the General Manager said is different. The
property is about to pass again under con-
troll of its owners, and. as reorganization is
assured, the company has determined to en-
force discipline, no matter at what cost.
INTIMIDATION NOT INTENDED.
The employment of the police was not for
purposes of intimidation but TO protect
those whom the company might employ in
place of the strikers. The company has
been promised protection in this city by the
police authorities TO the extent of 900 men,
If such large forces should be necessary The
com any has received application for work
from large numbers of men il protection
should be guaranteed them; this assurance
has been given, and it is intended TO begin
work in earnest with non union labor on
Tuesday IL the men In the employ of the
company prior to Monday night do not
resume work
Another official said that the company
intended to operate the road with labor
picked up wherever IL could be obtained.
1t was intimated that the applications
already received for work, furnished an in
dication that it ayould not be difficult TO
obtain labor enough to keep trains moving.
THE SITUATION AT PORT RICHMOND.
READING, PA, Dec. 24.--Up to noon to-
day pass niger traffic ON the Philadelphia
and Reading railroad has not been affected
by the strike at Port Richmond. All pas
senger trains were moving on time. In
consequence Of the strike that place,
however, all the coal and freight trains be-
tween Reading and Philadelphia have been
side-tracked. Not coal train has passed
through Reading for Port Richmond since
midnight. s ipments of coal are being
made 70 Iecalpoints only.
no COAL TRAINS RUNNING.
During the "a hours ending late tonight not
single coal train has passed through this
city from the Schuylllill region on the
Reading railroad for Philadelphia or Port
Richmond. Thousands of cars loaded with
coal are now standing ON the sidings
north and south Of Reading, where
trains have been run and the fires
drawn from the engines. Hundreds Of APP
plications were received to-day from men
anxious to 20 to Port Richmond and take
the positions OF strikers. The first contin-
gent of fifty was sent tonight. Freight
traffic is also at standstill. Passenger
trains alone are running.
~ W Vpr AZ HHAMoKIH.